Magnetic field structure in single late-type giants: The weak G-band giant 37 Comae from 2008 to 2011

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic field structure and activity of the weak G-band giant 37 Com, revealing complex magnetic topology, a 111-day rotation period, and possible magnetic evolution over several years.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed magnetic map of 37 Com using Zeeman Doppler imaging and links magnetic activity to stellar evolution in weak G-band giants.

Findings

Magnetic field has a complex structure with a significant toroidal component.

Rotation period of 111 days was identified for 37 Com.

Magnetic and activity indicators suggest surface magnetic evolution from 2008 to 2011.

Abstract

This work studies the magnetic activity of the late-type giant 37 Com. This star belongs to the group of weak G-band stars that present very strong carbon deficiency in their photospheres. The paper is a part of a global investigation into the properties and origin of magnetic fields in cool giants. We use spectropolarimetric data, which allows the simultaneous measurement of the longitudinal magnetic field $B_{l}$, line activity indicators (H$\alpha$, Ca\,{\sc ii} IRT, S-index) and radial velocity of the star, and consequently perform a direct comparison of their time variability. Mean Stokes V profiles are extracted using the least squares deconvolution (LSD) method. One map of the surface magnetic field of the star is reconstructed via the Zeeman Doppler imaging (ZDI) inversion technique. A periodogram analysis is performed on our dataset and it reveals a rotation period of 111 days. We interpret this period to be the rotation period of 37 Com. The reconstructed magnetic map reveals that the structure of the surface magnetic field is complex and features a significant toroidal component. The time variability of the line activity indicators, radial velocity and magnetic field $B_{l}$ indicates a possible evolution of the surface magnetic structures in the period from 2008 to 2011. For completeness of our study, we use customized stellar evolutionary models suited to a weak G-band star. Synthetic spectra are also calculated to confirm the peculiar abundance of 37 Com. We deduce that 37 Com is a 6.5~$M_{\odot}$ weak G-band star located in the Hertzsprung gap, whose magnetic activity is probably due to dynamo action.